Our American Queen
14 January 2026
Bridewell Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Our American Queen – the rise and ruin of Kate Chase – the most powerful American woman you’ve never heard of is a new play by Thomas Klingenstein, presented by the american vicarious, running at the Bridewell Theatre until 7 February. The play tackles the life and times of Kate Chase, daughter of president Lincoln’s Secretary of Treasury and hopeful candidate for presidency Salmon P. Chase. During the 1864 US presidential election and at the height of the civil war, well educated and politically capable Kate pulls the strings behind her father’s run for candidacy while she has to choose between her deep connection to Lincoln’s secretary John Hay and a wealthy, well connected textile magnate who could secure her father’s political future. Torn between love and ambition in a nation in turmoil, Kate leverages her connections, questions her convictions, and ponders her options.
The fictionalised biographical play is set on an understated yet impressive stage on a large floating platform lit from below, a grand banquet table dominating the set, completed with a gilded picture frame which holds a screen that punctuates the plot with a variety of images and videos. It’s an imposing yet contained scenery that works incredibly well for this historical play that examines some of the ways women in history have used their skills and influence to wield a modicum of power in a world set to diminish them.
The plot develops through conversations alone, beautifully illustrating a politically fragile country in the midst of a devastating war, and a woman utilising her education and position to the best of her abilities while trying to adhere to the strict expectations placed upon her by her father and society at large. Darrell Brockis plays an exquisitely nuanced Salmon Chase, tiptoeing between capable politician and contentious patriarch, wonderfully contrasted by Tom Victor’s poetic and sentimental John Hay. Wallis Currie-Wood is tremendous as Kate Chase, portraying a woman torn between her heart and the expectations placed upon her, straining against the reigns only as far as she dares, held back by a need to keep her family’s reputation intact, desperate for her father’s approval. Her inner struggle is palpable, her restraint gorgeously illustrated, an accomplished performance that combines subtle nuance with strong characterisation.
This production is a fascinating historical narrative that focuses on an intriguing woman, held back by the restricted role placed upon her, longing for so much more yet expected to inhabit a smaller space in her time. A captivating show that begs to be seen.
